Editor's Note: Remember That Nor'easter I Predicted?

As I posted last week, New York has been due for a Nor’easter snow storm this frigid winter. Well, here it comes. While forecasters weren’t sure of the storm’s track on Thursday, they were sure on Friday. It’s coming up the coast hard and strong on Sunday into Monday. Predictions for snow are 10 inches or more. [Satellite image above from Friday, Feb. 20, 2026]

Tomorrow my wife and I will have lunch out. Then we’ll hunker down. I have some writing to do over the weekend, but I’ll also be reading a galley of Bob Spitz’s The Rolling Stones: The Biography (Penguin), a 704-page definitive evolution of the band due April 21. A masterpiece thus far.

I’ll also be listening to an incredible new Art Pepper box set that I’ll review on Monday. You’re going to love it.

For now, time to stock up on soup and haul out my heavy Nobis down storm coat and my Hoka Kaha 2 Frost GTX boots. I’ll take a few photos during the storm for next week.

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Movies and TV. Here’s what I loved watching this past week: Blue Lights, season 3 (BritBox) and Elvis: The Movie (1979), with Kurt Russell as Elvis (DVD/Blu-ray). A solid but now forgotten portrayal. Here’s the trailer…

The Berman brothers are back! The last time Frank and Christian Berman produced a project like this was in 2014, with Studio Rio Presents: The Brazil Connection. The album re-imagined iconic pop, soul, and jazz hits with authentic Brazilian samba and bossa nova arrangements. It not only was clever but also worked! To remind you, here’s what they did with Mel Torme’s I’ve Got You Under My Skin…

Now, they have just released Tumbao Experience, a single featuring Nina Simone singing Love Me or Leave Me. Simone’s vocal was recorded in 1957 for her first album, Little Girl Blue.

The Cuban overlay was arranged by Demetrio Muñiz and recorded last April in Madrid, Spain. The personnel: Yaure Muñiz (tp), Julián Garvayo (tb), Ariel Bringuez (saxophone), Sergio Fernandez (p), Toño Miguel (b), Moisés Porr (drums, perc), Sam Waymon (additional vcl).

Here’s the track…

Mannix. Here’s an orchestra performing Lalo Schifrin’s theme for the Mannix detective TV series (1967-1975)…

In New York on Wednesday,March 11? Be sure to catch the Leslie Pintchik Trio at Zinc Bar at 82 West 3rd Street in Manhattan. The trio features Scott Hardy on bass,Leslie on piano and Michael Sarin on drums. [Same order in photo above]

Leslie is superb. There’s a $35 cover, no reservations are necessary. It’s best to show up about 20 minutes before showtime. There will be two shows, at 7 and 8:30 p.m. For more information, go here or call (917) 359-4635.

Here’s the trio playing Small Pleasures at Zinc Bar in 2024…

Jackie & Roy. Bill Kirchner sent along a link to his favorite album by the duo—Sweet and Low Down (1960). Now I’m passing it along to you. As Bill notes, it features “sparkling vocals, a stellar band and some of Roy’s best arrangements.” Here’s the band: Anthony Ortega (as,fl), Roy Kral (p,vcl,arr), Barney Kessel (g), Larry Bunker (vib), Al McKibbon (b), Frank Butler (d) and Jackie Cain (vcl).

Here ya go…